It's the fifth week of One Local Summer, and certain Southerners' thoughts have turned to catfish.
We haven't had time to fish as much as we did last year, unfortunately. We've been too crazy-busy to while away sultry evenings at the creekside. But even when you buy it at the grocery, catfish is pretty dependably local around here. Most of it is farmed in northern Georgia and western North Carolina. (Note that all bets are off if you go to Wal-Mart, where all fish, regardless of type, seems to be imported from China.)
Here's the tally:
PAN-FRIED CATFISH
Catfish - about 150-175 miles
Red Mule cornmeal from Athens, Ga. - 35 miles
CHEESE GRITS
Red Mule grits from Athens, Ga. - 35 miles
Cheddar cheese from Sweetwater Valley Farms, Philadelphia, Tenn. - 268 miles
TOMATO AND BASIL SALAD
0 miles
Oh, wait! I almost forgot to claim partial credit for a blueberry cobbler I made earlier in the day. The flour, butter, and other baking ingredients weren't especially local, but I picked the berries last weekend in Watkinsville, Ga., 35 miles away. Mmmmmmm...
